wreck 1 of 2

1
as in wreckage
the portion or bits of something left over or behind after it has been destroyed found the wreck of the ship lying on the floor of the ocean

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2
as in wrecking
the destruction or loss of a ship the wreck cost the insurance company millions of dollars

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3
as in collision
the violent coming together of two bodies into destructive contact a dangerous stretch of roadway that has been the scene of numerous car wrecks

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wreck

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to scuttle
to cause irreparable damage to (a ship) by running aground or sinking many an unwary captain has wrecked his ship on the shoals that surround the island

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2
as in to ruin
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of most of the furniture on the ground floor was wrecked by the floodwaters

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wreck
Noun
But Parente says Martinez, who was shot five times after the crash, did not cause the wreck, arguing the agent was the person who actually initiated the contact by sideswiping his client, making the condition of his vehicle crucial to her defense. Andi Babineau, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2025 For centuries, the wreck becomes the stuff of legends, with only the remote indigenous Guna Yala tribe privy to its exact location. Chrissie McClatchie, Robb Report, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
The Ravens host the Chicago Bears in what feels like a must-win for a 1-5 Baltimore squad that’s been wrecked by injuries. Andy Scholes, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025 That sport is so incredible and wrecks your body. Glenn Garner, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wreck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wreck
Noun
  • Video from the scene showed smoke rising from the wreckage as Ramesh stumbled away with minor visible injuries.
    Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2025
  • So, Senate Democrats put an alternative on the table 12 days before September 30 that fixed the health care wreckage that the Republicans caused and that ensured that a deal would be honored, both by Congress and the White House.
    ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The coaches also decided King’s wrecking-ball approach was effective.
    Seth Emerson, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
  • The addresses listed in the wrecking permits border the east of the truck plant where Ford makes its iconic Super Duty trucks, Expedition SUVs and luxury Lincoln Navigators.
    Olivia Evans, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Everything is dark around us, but the collision itself is a source of energy and the flash of it lights us up.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
  • After the collision and shooting on October 4, a crowd of protesters gathered around the scene on the southwest side of Chicago, and agents responded by deploying tear gas.
    Reuters, NBC news, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • This was the case last month at a meeting of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which regulates pollution from the international shipping fleet, where US diplomats acted in concert with major oil-producing nations to scuttle what would have been the world’s first carbon tax.
    Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
  • Ars Technica speculates that it was done by people who don't like the plan to help Duffy hold on to his dual roles or scuttle Isaacman's re-nomination.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • That’s why his mistress threw in with Frank to intimidate Dale into a land deal that would have ruined any chance of Chutto’s family ever getting their land back.
    Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Because when those premiums go up by 100, 200%, people’s lives are ruined.
    Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 3 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Gas and dust fall into a rotating disk around the black hole, and as the debris spirals more rapidly, it becomes superheated, releasing intense radiation.
    Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 6 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • On the day of the crash, the FBI collected pictures of the car’s exterior, paint samples and other evidence, according to an affidavit filed by the Justice Department.
    Omar Jimenez, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Crash reported on eastbound I-70 There has been a crash on I-70 between Blue Ridge Cut Off/Exit 9 and Sterling Avenue/Exit 10.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The four tried to sail across the sea but were shipwrecked in Spain, where all four of them survived and went on to their next adventure in Not Mexico together.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Two married sea-explorers are stranded, Gilligan-style, after a storm shipwrecks their craft.
    Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Wreck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wreck. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.

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